Classroom Pictures 2016-2017

These pictures are of my classroom during the 2016-2017 school year! 

 This is the view from my classroom door. 

 This view is from my whole group carpet looking at my small group table.

Another view from my classroom door.

  A look at my classroom library! 

Stef Swanson

www.facebook.com/DreamBigKinders

www.dreambigkinders.blogspot.com

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Stef-Swanson

First Grade

I can't even believe it... But it has been over a year... A YEAR since I last posted on my blog. I have now moved into first grade!! This fall will be my second year. This blog, my DBK Facebook page, and my Teacher's Pay Teachers Store have been severally neglected. Ahhh! But this year I am setting a goal to get back to my creative outlet and share my passion of teaching! 

Please, stay tuned!

Stef Swanson

www.facebook.com/DreamBigKinders

www.dreambigkinders.blogspot.com

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Stef-Swanson

Calendar Card Freebies- Updated!

My FREE calendar cards are now updated with blank cards to write the year!

Stef Swanson

www.facebook.com/DreamBigKinders

www.dreambigkinders.blogspot.com

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Stef-Swanson

Sight Word Activities

Hello Friends! I can not even believe it has been a year almost to the day 

that I last posted! This past year has been a very busy one.  I am now teaching

first grade and I absolutely LOVE it! Learning the new curriculum and 

standards kept me busier than ever. I now have time to get back 

to creating more materials for the classroom! Stay tuned! 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook at Dream Big Kinders 

to be the first to know when new packets are ready!

Here is the most recent packet I am currently working on. 

Read, Write, Stamp! Sight words!

This packet covers 100 of the most common high frequency words first graders

will come across in their on level reading. 

I let my students use alphabet stamps, 

alphabet stickers, or alphabet magnetic letters to build each word!

NEW to these sight word packets is EDITABLE PAGES!! 

You can now enter words that your school district requires or 

you can use this option to differentiate 

for all students in your classroom!!

Other Sight Word Packets Under Construction:

Rainbow Write Sight Words

Roll, Say, Keep! Sight Words

Spin, Read, Color! Sight Words

Search and Graph Sight Words

Color by Sight Words

These are not yet completed, so CLICK HERE to find 

all of my sight word packets!

Dream Big Kinders

Monster Classroom Decor - Daily Schedule Cards

Hello Friends!

A couple weeks into my summer break and I am finally making

it back to my blog! My goal for next year is to  find more time to update

my blog more often. I will be moving to first grade and I 

can't be more excited!! So stay tuned for first grade fun!

Below is my most recent TpT Packet for class decor!

Full Sheet and Half Sheet schedule cards are included!

Full Sheet and Half Sheet have a space to write academic standard!

Cards can be edited to meet your classroom needs!

 Click HERE to grab this adorable Monster Theme Schedule Cards!

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Below are some kindergarten writing samples based on the book

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. 

"My caterpillar ate a apple and a watermelon and a lollipop."

"My caterpillar ate an apple and an strawberry and an chocolate."

"My caterpillar ate a strawberry cake and a chocolate 

cake and a vanilla cake. She got a tummy ache."

"Pizza an apple an grape."

"My caterpillar ate a apple, pickle, and ice cream."

"My caterpillar ate cheese and a leaf and grapes."

CLICK HERE to grab the FREEBIE!

Caterpillar Writing Paper

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store

Book Talk Tuesday - I Need My Monster

Hello Friends!

I'm back for Book Talk Tuesday with Deanna Jump

from Mrs. Jumps's class!

This book is a FAVORITE every year of my students! It's

a great book to read around Halloween time.

Click on the picture to get the book from Amazon.com.

Instead of sleeping with a blanket or a teddybear

this little boy sleeps with a monster! However, one night his

monster decides to leave, so the boy is determined

to find a replacement monster!

Each substitute monster has very unique qualities, but

none seem to have everything!

I love this book so much that I created a packet to go with it!

CLICK HERE to get this packet!

CLICK HERE to read an old post about this packet 

and to grab a FREEBIE!!

I am linking up with Deanna from Mrs. Jump's Class Book Talk Tuesday! 

Click on the picture above to read more about great books!

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store

Garlic Zucchini Recipe

Hello Friends!

Here is a Pinterest inspired recipe that I tried last night! It was

so yummy AND my fiancé ate his vegetables! :)

Here is the original recipe. Click HERE to visit the

website and get the recipe.

Crusty Parmesan-Herb Zucchini Bites

Here is my attemp before cooking!

I cooked mine on the grill, so the house

wouldn't heat up. So, my cheese didn't get

crunchy, but still yummy! Not too bad if I say so myself! :)

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store

Book Talk Tuesday - Betty Bunny

This series is absolutely adorable each with a valuable lesson taught! Each week we celebrate a student as a V.I.P. Student! **Very Important Person! Part of that is a student bringing in a favorite book and I read the book to the class. This student brought in Betty Bunny Wants Chocolate Cake! It was so great and the students LOVED it! The lesson was about patience.

A few weeks later that parent of the student gave me this book for my classroom! 

Betty Bunny Wants a Goal! And of course my Kinders loved it!

This is a story teaching the lesson of working hard and not giving up! Betty wants to play soccer, but when she doesn't even touch the ball during the game she quickly thinks soccer is yucky an no fun at all. Betty Bunny's siblings explain that she can do anything if she works hard and doesn't give up!

Betty wanted to be the star of the game.

Betty tried so hard to score a goal. But she failed big time! 
She wanted to give up, but her friends and family wouldn't let her.

Betty practiced soccer with Bill for a whole week.

Will her practice and hard work lead her to a goal... 

Or maybe something more?!

Here are a few more books from the Betty Bunny Series!

By: Michael B. Kaplan and illustrated By: Stephane Jorisch.

CLICK HERE to get the book on Amazon.com!

I am linking up with Deanna from Mrs. Jump's Class Book Talk Tuesday! 

Click on the picture above to read more about great books!

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store

Five for Friday - Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sharks, End of The Year and MORE!

Hello Friends!

Well, I have definitely been MIA as I have been relaxing and crossings things off my summer to do list! I meant to post this post last Friday, but I just didn't have time. So, here it goes!

The last week of school in my kindergarten classroom we spent time revisiting some of our favorite books we had read throughout the school year! The students talked with their carpet neighbor and listed all the books they could remember. Then as a whole group we voted on some of our favorites! The Very Hubpngry Caterpillar was one of the winners!

We read the book and then watched the video on YouTube.

After retelling the story in order beginning, middle, and end each students brainstormed ideas of what their caterpillar would eat! The. We were ready to begin our craft!

1. I gave my students a cut up sentence that was out of order. They wrote the food their caterpillar and a nod then cut and glued the sentence in the correct order. 

2. Then I gave each student a small white square and they drew a picture do the food their caterpillar ate.

3. Before cutting out the caterpillar each student drew a setting for their caterpillar!

4. Now it was time to begin making the caterpillar! I gave each student small rectangle squares of construction paper and then they created their caterpillar! I love how each one is unique!

"My caterpillar ate pizza."

"My caterpillar ate strawberry."

"My caterpillar ate watermelon."

"My caterpillar ate apple."

"My caterpillar ate a leaf and apple."

"My caterpillar ate salid."

We also incorporated math by graphing what our caterpillars ate, but I didn't take a picture of our survey graph. Sorry! :(

After spending time researching sharks we wrote our own books and then made these cute sharks!

"Sharks are fish."

This is our pretty kitty Maddie and our cute puppy Bentley staring intensely at the little bunny in our backyard!

After our flowers were almost completely destroyed they are now making a good comeback!

This is a HAIL STORM. Not a snow storm!

Here are our flowers today!

Last we made these for our families as a kindergarten year keepsake! I love how each student's personality shines through!

This was a gift from a parent! I love it! :)

"I teach kindergarten. What's your superpower?"

And it's personalized with my name! 

Click on the picture above to read MORE Five for Fridays!

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Graphics by SPC Tpt Store